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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23569468">Memory</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/propheticfire/pseuds/propheticfire'>propheticfire</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Viren Week [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Birthday Fluff, Fluff, Food, Husbands, M/M, Memory, Romance, Viren Week (The Dragon Prince), Viren Week 2020, couple's vacation, middle-aged men re-living the vigor of youth, mildly ooc probably but I don't care, or trying to anyway, slight innuendo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:01:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,333</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23569468</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/propheticfire/pseuds/propheticfire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Viren and Harrow take a second honeymoon in tropical paradise, and re-live some of their old memories.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harrow/Viren (The Dragon Prince)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Viren Week [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Memory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I told you we’d come back here.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You did, Harrow, you did. But I never thought you actually meant it.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Viren, have you so little faith in me?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Well…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Harrow laughs, and throws his arm around Viren’s shoulder. “Well I’m glad I can still surprise you. Wait here; I’ll go check us in.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Viren drifts slowly toward the far end of the lobby as Harrow speaks with the front desk. The open air space lets a refreshing sea breeze blow through, gently tossing the ornamental curtains along the lobby walls. Beyond that, the lush green courtyard that surrounds the pool is almost exactly how he remembers it, if a little more modern in its furnishings. But the beach is the same, and the sea itself, sparkling in the midday sun.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Strong arms encircle Viren’s waist as Harrow steals up behind him. “Beautiful,” Harrow whispers. “Still so beautiful.”<br/>
<br/>
“It is,” Viren agrees, looking out over the courtyard.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I wasn’t talking about the scenery.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Despite himself, Viren blushes. Harrow always knew how to be charming, and he falls for it every time.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Come on,” Harrow continues. “Let’s go to our room and unpack. Then we can <em>really</em> start our trip down memory lane.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> They’d come here on their honeymoon, all those years ago. Harrow had wanted to see the place where his family came from, and Viren had no objections whatsoever to vacationing in <em>Jamaica</em>. They were young and a little reckless and so in love, and the trip had been a wild adventure. They’d eaten so much good food, and swum in the sea, and laid out on the sand under the stars, and it had felt like a fairytale. They are…perhaps a little too old, now, to do some of the things they did back then—they certainly won’t be cliff diving this time—but Viren knows Harrow is hoping they can re-live at least some of those experiences.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> They spend the rest of the first day hanging around the hotel: walking along the white sand, wading in the turquoise water, relaxing in one of the hammocks on the property, under the shade of a graceful palm. That night they sip ridiculously tropical drinks at the hotel bar, and then retire to their room to order an absurd amount of food via room service and enjoy each other’s closeness.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> The next day Viren wakes early, as he always does. But he stays in bed for a long while, watching Harrow sleep. The lines on his husband’s face weren’t there when they first came here, nor was the gray that had begun to dust Harrow’s temples, but they’re a testament to the rich life he’s lived since then. He’s more handsome than ever. The urge to kiss him builds in Viren, until he can’t ignore it anymore. Gently, he cups his husband’s cheek and leans in to press their lips together.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Harrow wakes, of course. Viren pulls back, cursing himself for waking him, but Harrow chases the kiss, following Viren’s lips. He smiles against Viren’s mouth, and hums appreciatively.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I’m so blessed to have such a soft, warm, <em>sexy</em> wake-up call.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Harrow pulls him closer, and Viren’s heart skips a beat. They spend the rest of the morning again enjoying each other’s closeness.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> That afternoon, and the next day, and the next, they adventure through town and along the seacoast, trying to track down all the places they visited on their first honeymoon. Harrow never seems to put his phone away, snapping picture after picture of the people, the scenery, the action, and especially the two of them together. Things have changed, of course, but many of the landmarks and restaurants are still there.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> The <em>restaurants</em>. If there’s one thing Viren wishes he could carry over from the wild days of his youth, it’s the ability to consume copious amounts of jerk seasoning without feeling his innards stage a revolt. The heart may want, and the tongue may want, but the stomach now says no. He laments as much to Harrow, over a plate of jerk chicken and savory rice &amp; peas. Harrow just laughs and kisses him, before taking a picture of his food.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Later that afternoon, as they’re walking along the coast, Harrow nudges him. “Are you up for re-living another part of the wild days of your youth?” His grin is absolutely wicked. Viren gives him a questioning look, and Harrow tosses his head toward a rocky outcropping up ahead. It takes Viren a moment, but then…</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Oh! Harrow, is that— That’s the place we went cliff diving, if I— Harrow no, <em>no</em>, I am <em>not—</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Aw, come on!” Harrow pushes him forward. “I know you still have it in you. Just once. For old time’s sake.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Harrow, <em>no</em>, there’s <em>no way</em>—”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You used to be <em>fearless</em>, Viren! I know you still have that spark. That sexy, <em>sexy</em> spark.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Harrow is looking at him in a way that makes it very hard to refuse.<br/>
<br/>
“I don’t know, Harrow, it’s so high…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Come on. Just once.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Are you going to go too?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “If you go, I’ll go.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I… I don’t know…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I’ll make it worth your whiiiile…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> That last bit comes out in a singsong tone, as Harrow reaches out and runs a hand down Viren’s hip.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Damn him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Fine, I’ll do it. But you are <em>not—” </em>Viren says as Harrow pulls his phone out of his pocket— “taking a picture of me.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Harrow looks at his phone and frowns. “Can’t anyway. I’m out of memory.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You’re out of storage space already?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Yeah. I guess you’re safe. Go though, go, go!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Viren tries to sigh exasperatedly, but the anxious, exciting tingle of adrenaline is already starting to course through him. He strips down to his swim shorts and scrambles up onto the rocks. It’s not…<em>that</em> bad, he thinks, as he makes his way out to the edge of the outcrop. Until he looks down, anyway.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Oh no, oh <em>definitely</em> not, there’s <em>no way—</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You can do it, babe! Woo!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Oh my god.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> The waters are calm, with only a slight ripple. Beautiful, inviting blue. The sun shines down in brilliant sparkles. He remembers this. Just like it was years ago. Only one thing left to do, then.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> He backs up, takes a few running steps, and then…</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Flying.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> When he picks his pants back up off the sand, his phone is pinging in his pocket. Harrow is also on his phone, grinning.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “What’s so funny?” Viren asks, as he fishes out his device and looks at it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> There’s a group text message, between himself, Harrow, his son, and his daughter. The first thing he sees is a picture of him, mid-jump, silhouetted between the rocks and the sea, and Harrow’s words beneath it:</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em> Look @ what ur “old dad” did on his birthday.</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> He looks up sharply. “You <em>told me you couldn’t take a picture—</em>wait it’s my birthday?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> A message from Claudia comes through: <em>Dad that’s so awesome!</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> And then from Soren: w<em>ay to go Dad!! hope you didn’t throw your back out!!</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Harrow chuckles as he types back: <em>Yeah he’s gonna need that l8r.</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Harrow!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Claudia comes back with a series of rapid texts.</span>
</p><p class="p1"><em>Oh god no.</em><br/>
<em>Nope.<br/>
</em> <em>I’m deleting this.</em></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Viren snatches the phone out of Harrow’s hand before he can do anymore damage. “Harrow. First of all, how dare you. Second of all, what’s the date today? It’s my birthday?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Harrow laughs and dives for the phone. Or, it seemed as though he was diving for the phone, but his arms come around Viren’s waist instead, pulling him close. “My dear, did you not wonder why we weren’t taking this trip on our anniversary?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Well, yes, but…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> It’s hard to stay mad at Harrow when he’s kissing his neck like this.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Abruptly, Harrow pulls away and sheds his outer clothes. He runs up onto the rocks, never once stopping before he throws himself into the air at the edge, the picture of absolute joy.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Happy birthday, Vireeeen!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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